Marketing procurement is changing rapidly. What do you believe will have the biggest impact on the function over the next two to three years?

The shift from Globally LED/Locally FED governance to true AI-scaled execution. We're moving from harmonizing contracts to harmonizing data and decision-making — omnichannel becomes a predictive engine, not a reporting exercise. Procurement's role shifts from negotiating rates to architecting the ecosystem that converts spend into measurable growth.

AI is dominating industry conversations. Where do you think procurement teams can create the most value with AI today, and where is the hype outweighing reality?

AI creates real value where there's high-volume, repeatable decision-making backed by good data — media mix optimization, creative production and localization, spend analytics, and contract/rate benchmarking. AI is genuinely powerful when it's accelerating decisions humans already know how to make, just faster and at greater scale. The hype: treating AI as a line-item cost-saver rather than a capability that requires data governance first. Without centralized, standardized data, AI outputs are just faster noise. Moreover expecting AI to replace strategic judgment in agency relationships, creative evaluation, or negotiation is not yet realistic. The technology can inform those decisions, but it doesn't substitute for procurement's relationship-building and commercial acumen. The real unlock isn't the model itself; it's the discipline of data governance and change management that has to happen before AI can deliver anything trustworthy.

What's the biggest challenge marketing procurement leaders are facing right now that isn't being talked about enough?

Data ownership fragmentation at the local level. Everyone's excited about AI models; almost no one's fixed who owns the underlying data, in what format, at what cadence. We're centralizing this from local markets to HQ precisely because AI scalability collapses without it — it's unglamorous, unfinished work, but it's the actual bottleneck.

How are agency relationships evolving, and what distinguishes high-performing procurement teams from those still relying on traditional sourcing approaches?

High performers are moving from "cheapest wins" to performance- and ROI-based partnership models — treating agencies as co-innovators with shared KPIs, not vendors on annual rebate reviews. Traditional sourcing still optimizes for unit cost; strategic sourcing optimizes for speed-to-market, creative quality, and cross-market scalability, with agencies rewarded accordingly.

As procurement becomes a more strategic business partner, what skills and capabilities do leaders need to develop within their teams?

Fluency in marketing analytics (change management skills, MMM, ROI modeling, strategic outcomes) alongside classic sourcing skills — procurement people need to speak CMO and CFO simultaneously.

Marketing budgets remain under pressure. How can procurement balance cost optimisation with supporting innovation, creativity, and long-term brand growth?

Don't treat them as trade-offs — fund innovation with efficiency savings and scalable solutions cross-countries and cross-BUs. Centralize fragmentation and leverage on innovative solutions that impact cost reduction and scalability.

What's one piece of advice you would give to marketing procurement leaders navigating today's rapidly changing landscape?

Fix your data and content excellence governance before you chase AI use cases. Every scalable win Procurement can build sits on top of clean, centralized data. Skipping that step would mean automating chaos faster.

For senior marketing procurement leaders considering attending ProcureCon Marketing Connect 2026, why would you recommend they join you?

Because I'll bring the unglamorous truth alongside the AI headlines — real experience and what actually broke along the way as Key Learnings.

Laura will be joining us at ProcureCon Marketing Connect 2026, alongside other senior marketing procurement leaders.

Download the agenda to explore the full speaker line-up, sessions and networking opportunities.